Circuit breaker energy management systems are designed to control circuit breakers in a circuit breaker panelboard by commanding the circuit breakers to turn "on" and "off," so as to "close" and "open" the current path for efficient energy use. It is advantageous for such systems to be user-programmable in order to control the circuit breakers automatically at predesignated times of the day. This attribute cannot be accurately or reliably provided, however, without a reprogramming circuit which corrects the time after a power interruption.
Previously known energy management arrangements have attempted to provide the above attribute by including a separate control system conveniently located, e.g., in a homeowner's kitchen, so that the time can be reprogrammed by the user after the power interruption. Unfortunately, a separate control system is not acceptable in many applications due to cost and maintenance, and a user-reprogramming requirement is unacceptable in many applications.
Accordingly, a microcomputer-based circuit breaker energy management system is needed which overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art.